CENTCOM: Real War Stories

SPC. Claude Flowers of CENTCOM Public Affairs sent an e-mail asking if I would link their site, Centcom.mil, which, as SPC. Flowers points out, features "up-to-date information on what the Coalition is doing in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom."

Damn right I will. I can never thank these gentlemen enough:

Sgt. Willie L. Copeland III

Sgt. Willie L. Copeland III

Entangled by an ambush of more than 50 insurgents, and showered by dozens of rocket-propelled grenades, Sgt. Willie L. Copeland III didn't automatically take cover - he took charge.

Sorely outnumbered by insurgents, he led a fierce counterattack while safeguarding his Marines from heavy enemy fire, according to battlefield accounts.

For his heroic actions and bold leadership in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Copeland, team leader for 2nd Platoon, Company B, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, received the nation's second-highest combat award - the Navy Cross - April 21 at the Camp Del Mar Boat Basin.

Sgt. Benny Alicea

Sgt. Benny Alicea

Injured by the flying fragments of an enemy grenade, a Soldier collected himself and noticed his buddies were down. He rushed to protect them, firing round after round at his attackers as bullets punced into the walls around him. If he and his friends were to live, there was nothing he could do but continue to fight alone and wait for reinforcements.

This was the situation Sgt. Benny Alicea, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry, 1st Cavalry Division – then Spc. Alicea – faced during a battle in Fallujah in November 2004. Alicea’s actions that day earned him the Silver Star, just one of the many awards he earned during his year in Iraq. He also received two Purple Hearts and two Army Commendation Medals – one with a V device for valor in another battle.

Sadly, I'll never have the chance to thank Lance Cpl. Aaron Austin:

"There's no place I'd rather be than here with my Marines," Austin told the Los Angeles Times two days before the firefight. "I'll always remember this time."

The Marines were searching buildings in the war-torn Jolan neighborhood when they came under attack in one of the bloodiest clashes between the U.S. military and insurgents that spring.

Austin helped evacuate the wounded and led other Marines onto a roof to operate a machine gun. When the insurgents kept advancing, he took a grenade from his vest and moved into the open for a better throwing position.

"Several enemy bullets struck Lance Cpl. Austin in the chest," said the official Marine Corps account. "Undaunted by his injury and with heroic effort, he threw his hand grenade at the enemy on the adjacent rooftop."

The grenade hit the bull's-eye and forced the insurgents to halt their attack.

When the battle was over, Marines erected a makeshift memorial to Austin in one of the buildings they had fought to defend.

God bless every one of our men and women in uniform.

Be sure to visit Centcom.mil (link and logo is located in the left sidebar). If you're a blogger, please consider linking them from your site.

More on our heroes: Andi's World, Assumption of Command (by blogger Mustang 23, who is serving in Iraq right now), the inimitable Greyhawk, of Mudville Gazette fame.

UPDATE: Today's Tampa Tribune features good news from Iraq. See the "Special Report: Iraq War Coverage" box at the top.

Comments

[greg]

Done. Thanks for the heads-up, man. And I'll link to your post, as well.

[seawitch]

Thanks for posting this. I'll be adding centcom to my sidebar. Our guys are doing such a great job and people need to know what they do and what they face.

[seawitch]

Do you mind if I copy and use your logo?

[John from WuzzaDem]

If you mean the CENTCOM logo, it's not mine. SPC. Flowers sent it to me, and said to feel free to use it.

[GroovyVic]

Thanks for this. We all need to read this and link to it..which I will be doing later today!